Is this disgusting or am I being fussy? (cleaner related)

[IrritableGrizzly]

My cleaner quite often buys things she thinks I need and then gives me the receipt. I don't really mind as long as it's not something really expensive, as I figure she's the one using them. However something she got recently is niggling me.

I have loo brushes in the bathrooms - find them quite yucky but though I couldn't expect her to get her hand down my dunny. Then a few weeks ago, she turned up with a different loo brush and asked me to pay for it - said the other ones were not very good. The thing is, the new one is basically portable - she uses it in all the loos and then when she's finished she keeps it in the bucket with all the cloths, sponges etc.

Am I right in thinking that it's a bit grim to have a poo germ brush mingling with all the other bits and pieces, or should I suck it up and stop being precious?

[rubyslippers]

vile, vile, vile (her not you)

[ConnorTraceptive]

Bit gross to keep it in the same bucket as all the cloths and sponges unless she's disinfecting it each time?

[colditz]

Ewwwwwwwwwno no no.Insist she does not bring her own loo brush into your home. Yukarama!

[nickytwotimes]

No, that is horrible.

[mathanxiety]

[MmeLindt]

Yuk, yuk, yuk.

I am extremely unfussy, and just glad to have a cleaner but even I would balk at that.

[Romanarama]

That is gross.

[IrritableGrizzly]

Thanks for replies. When I said all the loos, I don't mean she takes it round from house to house - it stays at ours and she uses it in each of the loos (we have 3). It's the keeping it in with the other items that I find the most troubling aspect!

[FlameWithTooManyHormones]

I am one of the most slatternly people in the world, but that would even bother me!

[monkeypinkmonkey]

Eugh! thats awful. eugh eugh eugh.

[notagrannyyet]

You mean the loo brush is in the bucket with the cloth she cleans your basin & taps with. If so I would definately say something. 3 loos = 3 brushes and they stay with the loo. That's how most people do it I'm sure.

I'm not house proud at all and can put up with all sorts of mess and clutter. Do clean bathrooms and kitchen properly though.

[FabBakerGirlIsSURVIVED]

Loo brushes are vile and what she is doing is just ridiculous. If she thinks it is okay, or hasn't thought, I dread to think what else she is doing. Does she clean your kitchen before your loos or the other way around??

[ZacharyQuack]

In terms of cross-contamination, she might as well just use the same cloth down the loo and then wipe the bathroom sink and kitchen bench with it.

[PaulaMummyKnowsBest]

3 toilets = 3 brushes

Your cleaner is being disgusting

[Shoppingveggie]

However, after having DS2, when she came down (she lives 200 odd miles away) to stay the house wasn't as clean as I had wanted and she was very kind and said she would help me clean.

Anyway....point I am getting at is - she cleaned the loo while I was cleaning the bath and then went on to clean the tiles and basin WITH THE SAME CLOTH , I casually said (she is also a professional cleaner so didn't want to embarrass her) "ooh, do you use the same cloth blah blah blah" and she replied "yes of course, I am using (whatever Dettol/flash/mr muscle) so that gets rid of the germs".

I always make sure my house is sparkling now before she gets here!

Getting back to your point IG I would not be happy either!

[Shoppingveggie]

Opps - I missed out the opening bit (have not got a clue what happenede there!)

Basically, SIL professional cleaner - even cleans back of microwave with a cotton bud! Previous post tells of what she does.

[Shoppingveggie]

... and I haven't even had a glass of wine yet!

[sherby]

OMG lol at you lot

She is using the same brush for 3 loos? SO WHAT? is she contaminating each toilet with the other toilet germs

And how do you know she isn't bleaching the toilet brush before she puts it away with the other cleaning stuff. She may well know you don't like toilet brushes so is keeping it with the cleaning stuff and not in the bathroom.

Seriously if this is a big deal to you then WOW at your life

[FabBakerGirlIsSURVIVED]

Sherby. What the heck?

What she is doing could cause them to be ill so yes, it is a big deal.

[frogwatcher]

Have to say my initial reaction is yuck yuck yuck. But bearing in mind most peoples loos are cleaner than their chopping boards (own up who uses the same one for raw meat and veg), worktops and drying up towels, then it is probably fine as I expect she is bleaching it. Just a yucky thought and no, I couldnt have it in my house due to the thought of it.

[IrritableGrizzly]

No, she doesn't bleach it, just puts it back in the bucket when she's finished. The other thing is we live in SE Asia, where it's so hot and humid that germs breed very fast.

Ds1 has already had salmonella poisoning when he was 2; I really don't want him or any of us to go through that again.

[ZacharyQuack]

Toss the manky loo brush, buy 3 more exactly the same and leave one in each toilet. Tell her that you want her to leave each brush in it's place as it is very important to you to avoid cross-contamination as your DS has a delicate tummy and you don't want him to get sick again.

[LynetteScavo]

I agree with zacharyQuack....buy new brushes, and insist she uses those, but also buy a whole new set of cloths and sponges.

I have such a fear of cleaners cleaning the loo, and then the sink with the same cloth. (Not that I have a cleaner these days)

[ZacharyQuack]

Yes, new cloths too. In fact, buy colour coded cloths (yellow for bathroom, blue for kitchen or whatever) and write down what each one is for. Blame it all on "poor sickly DS" if you like.

[stuffitllllama]

No she doesn't know and you have to tell her. Get to ikea (are you in Singapore?) and buy 15 brushes and buy new ones every month. They are like half a dollar or something. She doesn't know. I don't think you need to explain, just tell her. If you explain it sounds like she will argue. Just tell her. It's up to you and she doesn't know and doesn't understand.